Subject-Verb Agreement

The Basic Rule

The verb must agree with its subject in number and person:

• Singular subject → singular verb: The cat runs.
• Plural subject → plural verb: The cats run.

This sounds simple, but English has many situations where agreement becomes tricky. Mastering them will significantly improve the accuracy of your writing.

Key Terms

Term	Meaning
Subject	The noun or pronoun performing the action
Verb	The action or state word
Agreement	The verb matching its subject in number and person
Singular	One person or thing
Plural	More than one person or thing
Collective noun	A noun referring to a group (team, family, jury)
Indefinite pronoun	A pronoun referring to non-specific people or things (everyone, nobody)

Identifying the Subject

The most important step is identifying the true subject — the noun that actually controls the verb. Phrases between the subject and verb can mislead you.

The box of chocolates is on the table.

• Subject: box (singular) — not chocolates
• Correct verb: is

A list of improvements has been submitted.

• Subject: list (singular) — not improvements
• Correct verb: has

Rule: Cross out any prepositional phrase between subject and verb, then check agreement with what remains.

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns name a group as a single entity: team, family, jury, committee, crowd, government, class.

British English allows both singular and plural depending on meaning:

• The team is winning. (the group as a single unit)
• The team are arguing among themselves. (members acting individually)

American English typically treats collective nouns as singular:

• The team is playing tonight.

In formal writing, be consistent — choose one approach and stick to it.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns that are always singular (take a singular verb):

everyone, someone, anyone, no one, nobody, somebody, anybody, everybody, each, either, neither, one

• Everyone is welcome.
• Each of the students has a notebook.
• Neither of them is ready.
• Nobody knows the answer.

Indefinite pronouns that are always plural:

both, few, many, others, several

• Both are correct.
• Many were surprised.

Indefinite pronouns that can be singular or plural depending on context:

all, any, most, none, some

• Some of the water is contaminated. (water = singular)
• Some of the students are absent. (students = plural)

Either...or / Neither...nor

When subjects are joined by either...or or neither...nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to the verb:

• Neither the teacher nor the students are ready. (students is closer — plural)
• Neither the students nor the teacher is ready. (teacher is closer — singular)
• Either she or I am responsible. (I is closer — first person singular)

Words That Look Plural but Are Singular

Some nouns end in -s but take a singular verb:

• Mathematics is my favourite subject.
• The news is disturbing.
• Physics is difficult.
• Economics is a complex discipline.
• Mumps is a childhood illness.

Words That Look Singular but Are Plural

Some nouns always take a plural verb:

• The scissors are on the table.
• The trousers are too long.
• My glasses are on the desk.

These words have no singular form — they always refer to an object with two parts.

Phrases That Interrupt Subject and Verb

These phrases do NOT affect verb agreement — the verb still agrees with the original subject:

• The captain, along with the crew, is responsible.
• The price, including all taxes, has been agreed.
• My friend, as well as her sisters, is coming.

Words like along with, together with, in addition to, as well as are not coordinating conjunctions — they do not create a plural subject.

Worked Examples

Correct the errors:

1. The group of tourists are visiting the museum. → The group is visiting the museum. (subject: group — singular)

2. Neither the cats nor the dog are sleeping. → Neither the cats nor the dog is sleeping. (dog is closer — singular)

3. Everyone in the classrooms are working quietly. → Everyone is working quietly. (everyone = always singular)

4. The news about the elections are surprising. → The news is surprising. (news = always singular)

Common Mistakes

• Agreeing with the nearest noun instead of the subject: "A box of chocolates are..." — the subject is "box," not "chocolates."
• Making indefinite pronouns plural: "Everyone are invited" — everyone is always singular.
• Treating collective nouns as always plural or always singular: In British English, both are possible — context determines which.
• Forgetting the "closest subject" rule with either/or: The verb must agree with the subject immediately preceding it.

Tips and Tricks

• Strip away all phrases between subject and verb: "The list [of concerns] is..."
• When in doubt with indefinite pronouns, remember: most end in -one or -body — these are always singular (they refer to one person).
• For either/or and neither/nor, place the plural noun closest to the verb to create a natural-sounding sentence.
• Read the sentence aloud — incorrect agreement often sounds wrong before it looks wrong.